Not a Creature Was Purring
(A Paws & Claws Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Virginia
Release Date – November 7, 2017
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1101988589
Kindle ASIN: B06W2J8BCT
Inn owner Holly Miller finds it ruff staying cheerful over the holidays when the dead body of a beloved businessman turns up in the pet-friendly town of Wagtail, Virginia.
Inspired by her German heritage, Holly’s grandmother has arranged for Wagtail to have a Christkindl Market packed with goodies and decorations for the howliday tourists. But Holly’s mood takes an unseasonable turn when she learns that her old flame and childhood friend Holmes Richardson has brought his fiancée home—and she’ll be staying at the Sugar Maple Inn…
A love triangle becomes the last thing on Holly’s mind when her Jack Russell Trixie’s nose for trouble leads her to the corpse of a pet clothing tycoon. Now Holly and her dedicated detectives—Trixie and Twinkletoes the cat—must sniff out the killer to keep Christmas from going to the dogs…
Delicious recipes for owners and pets included!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Welcome to Wagtail, Virginia! The perfect escape for dogs, cats, and their persons! That is until one of the Sugar Maple Inn’s guests ends up dead.
The town is celebrating the holidays with a Christkindl Market. Food and gifts can be found in several kiosks around the green. The homes are all decorated too. Some with the usual holiday fare but there is one who has taken the decorations to new heights, including some holiday music.
Christmas has also brought a pet clothing business owner to the inn with his whole family. This also brings Holmes Richardson to town with his fiancée. Holly still has feelings for Holmes but she knows she has to remember the woman is a guest at the inn, so she tries to put a smile on her face and attend to the woman’s needs, no matter how outlandish they are.
To say that the Thackleberry family tree is full of crazy may be putting it mildly. They are a couple of good souls in the bunch but most feel quite entitled due to the family’s wealth. Holmes’ bride to be is by far the worse. When their patriarch is killed it is easy to put them all high on the suspect list.
All my favorite characters have returned including Gingersnap, Twinkletoes, and Trixie. Krista Davis does such a great job of character development, pet or person. They come alive in these pages. The series characters continue to evolve and the guest characters fit into the mix so well. They are all lifelike and easy to like or dislike as the case may be.
Visiting Wagtail at Christmas would be spectacular. They do know how to throw a holiday, even with a dead body. The town tries to not let a murder investigation slow them down. The author has described every setting in such detail that is very easy to imagine you are there.
The plot weaves together a fantastic mystery and an interesting romantic triangle. There are plenty of suspects with a motive that singling out one is very difficult. It was fun chasing down the clues in a little winter wonderland. Holly treads lightly into Holmes relationship with Norma Jean. As his friend, she wants him to be happy, as a woman falling in love with him she wants him to be with her.
If I had a tail it would be wagging. This is an excellent mystery and perfect to curl up with on those wintery, blustery days ahead.
If you are new to the series, start at the beginning and enjoy. The book/series would also make a great gift for the pet-loving reader on your list.
About The Author
New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Paws and Claws Mysterie
Mystery Lovers Kitchen Twitter Killer Characters
Coming May 29, 2018
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Since I love animal stories, I know I’ll love this mystery!
looking forward to this book. Great Series!
SOunds like a good read.
I’ve been on the hunt for the first in this series for a while now but our local bookstores haven’t had it. I’ve added it to my Christmas wishlist too. Thanks for the review!
Oh, that cover is so adorable and it sounds like the perfect cozy holiday read:)